Reebok CrossFit Nano 7.0 Review

I almost can’t believe it’s already been seven generations of the Reebok CrossFit Nano. When I started CrossFit, the Nano 2.0 had just been released; at that time I was working out primarily in minimal shoes. Lucky for me, the theme of CrossFit shoes was minimal, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing a pair of Nano 2.0’s, mainly because they were acutal CF shoes. They were, are, and probably will forever be, my favorite Nano’s. Ever since then, I try not to use shoes not designed for “CrossFit”, even if they are training shoes; mainly because they’re usually not capable of doing all we do proficiently.

CrossFit is an all encompassing fitness regimen, you have to be able to lift, run and jump in them. Being able to balance all the traits is where things get tricky, and few have been able to come close to total solution for a shoe. Though I’ll forever love the Nano 2.0’s, last year when Reebok released the Nano 6.0, they came pretty damned close to putting together the perfect CrossFit shoe, and definitely made it difficult for them to create a follow-up. Surprisingly, Reebok strayed away from Nano 6.0’s with the 7.0’s, not only completely changing the winning formula of the shoe, but also changing the release schedule it had always had. There were a lot of salty people after they found out the Nano 7.0’s would be released in the beginning of January, after they had just gotten 6.0’s for Christmas.

The release of the seventh generation model was met with nothing short of criticism, mainly for their appearance, but also because of the change in release schedule to “undercut” the Metcon. For whatever reason, the Nano 7.0’s are here in January, once again being touted as the best Nano yet (of course they would be), but they’ve got some big shoes to fill, pun intended.

Looks, Construction & Fit:

Personally, I think people are being a little harsh about the way the Nano 7.0’s look. True, they take a huge departure from the no nonsense styling of the Nano 6.0, but different doesn’t mean bad. I think the main issue was the launch colorway, which at my box we’ve dubbed “Shoe by the Foot”, because the colors resemble the Fruit by the Foot flavor no one knew they were eating. Since then, more colors have been released and I think people are starting to warm up to them a bit; I think the grey is pretty good looking. When I see the shoe, I think of all the possibilities for colorways, in which the 7’s have quite possibly more options than any Nano before it.

Gone is the Kevlar outer shell and replacing it is the brand new “Nanoweave”. I don’t blame Reebok for not wanting to pay Dupont and going with a proprietary option; I never thought the Kevlar worked well anyways. The texture is rough and has a basket-like weave over a traditional synthetic upper; it feels sturdy enough, but also very stiff. Before you get the shoes broken in, it creates uncomfortable ridges in the toe box area; it takes a few days for them to go away. I’ve never had an issue with durability in Nano’s yet and I don’t think there will be any questions about how well Nano’s hold up any time soon. I did a few rope climbs and the shoes looked as good as new afterwards.

While the platform largely feels the same as far as width, the Nano 7.0’s are definitely the tallest shoe in the line-up. I don’t know why they chose to go this route, but it doesn’t effect the performance of the shoe much. The heel to toe drop remains the same as it’s always been at 4mm. Inside the shoe, there’s a little bit more arch support compared to the generally flatter, older models. Initially, people were saying that the Nano 7.0’s were more narrow, but I don’t really find this to be the case. I think the stiffness in the upper is what they’re talking about, I measured the shoe at almost identical dimensions as the 6.0. The only one that was off, was the length of the shoe, which the 6.0 was longer. Oddly enough, the 7.0’s feel longer to me, giving me a little bit more room for my Morton’s toe.

For sizing, I would recommend you size the exact same as all of your other Nano’s. Be wary that these ones take more time to break in, but after that they should be fine. My sizing for reference:

Nano 6 – 10

Nike Metcon – 9.5

Adidas Ultraboost/NMD – 10

Chucks – 9

Weightlifting shoes – 9

Performance:

In my extremely biased opinion, CrossFit is the most demanding fitness regimen, both mentally and physically. With that, the expectation for functional, durable, and high performing footwear is as equally demanded. Specialization is punished in the grand scheme of fitness, this theology translates into the footwear made for the sport. You could wear weightlifting shoes for stability and power, but you’d be giving up agility. You could wear running shoes, but you’d be giving up stability and power. The key to a great CrossFit shoe is to be able to blend all of the facets of fitness into one. Like every Nano before it, the 7.0’s were designed to handle everything you can throw at it, but they lean further than ever in one direction than ever.

Remember that stiffness we talked about earlier? Well, it’s not just in the upper, the outsole is the most rigid and dense of any Nano as well; probably in part due to the thickness of it. The heel is near in-compressible, making power delivery and landings the best yet. Lateral stability has always been good, but this time it’s excellent with the addition of the new TPU heel cup and the midsole’s new shell. I’ve always thought Nano’s were some of the best platforms for lifting, but the Nano 7.0 really takes the cake. You’ll never second guess a lift or landing because of lack of footing. They’re still flat as can be, so powerlifting movements have never been better; which seeing as how all the powerlifting shoes were discontinued, makes sense now. Personally, I try to not spoil myself by lifting in Oly shoes and the Nano 7.0’s make me not miss them at all.

Where the Nano also shines is the new redesigned outsole pattern and material. Meta-split grooves carry over from the previous models, giving your toes a little more flexibility to splay. The multi-directional tread pattern has been reworked, but I think the tackiness of the outsole is what gives the 7.0’s such sure footing. It’s a little gummy in feeling, compared to the standard rubber on the previous models. You might not notice the Rope-Pro, but it’s there and it is the best version yet. This year, they ditched the traditional spikes for a ribbed pattern across the middle of the outsole, but it does an insanely good job of holding onto the rope when climbing. From asphalt to the platform, the Nano 7.0’s have the best grip yet.

Lifting, check. Grip and rope climbs, check. Running..?

The Nano 6.0’s were so good because you could actually run in them too. Sure, there are better running shoes, but none of which you can lift in as well. What makes the 7.0’s such great lifting shoes, makes them horrible running shoes, probably the worst yet. Imagine what running in clown shoes would feel like and you’ve pretty much pictured running in Nano 7.0’s. The overall flexibility and comfort of the shoe took a big hit with the “improvements” to the upper and outsole. I don’t think even the best running coaches could help you efficiently run in the Nano 7.0’s. Even if you pose run, the forefoot isn’t very flexible and the upper is uncomfortable and heel strikers will get wrecked because the heel is so dense. I did a running workout with some snatches in between and my IT bands and TFL’s were wrecked for days afterwards.

Any other type of plyometric exercises are just passable. Thankfully, since the shoes are so rigid, they’re also very responsive. Box jumps felt sure enough, though landings were a little hard. Burpees are a little rough on the way up because of the inflexibility of the shoe. Double unders weren’t bad at all and my plantar fascias never got the “burn” even after a few hundred of them. All things the Nano 7.0 do well, but not nearly as good as it’s predecessor. Weight is so similar it’s almost not even worth noting. I weighed the 7.0’s at 11.8 oz and the 6.0’s at 11.4oz for a men’s size 10.

Value & Conclusion:

One thing that hasn’t changed, and probably will never change is the price of the shoe. Nano 7.0’s retail for $130 and right now, while the 6.0’s are still for sale, I don’t know if I could recommend them over the less expensive 6.0. What really hurts the Nano 7.0’s is that the 6.0’s were just SO good; I’m talking about one of my favorite pairs of training shoes of all time good. If you’re a powerlifter or globo gym person (both of which probably would’t even be looking at CrossFit shoes), the Nano 7.0’s would be a better performer. Don’t get me wrong, the 7.0’s are still an excellent training shoe, as every Nano was before it. As a complete CrossFit shoe, the Nano 7.0’s are just not as good as the 6.0’s.

I can appreciate the work that Reebok is continually putting in to make their shoe the best, but I feel like the 7.0’s might have been rushed out a little bit. The enhancements detract too much from the overall experience. Historically, the odd numbers in the Nano line up have been the odd ones out that people don’t really care for, and the even models people love. It’s kind of like when Apple decides to release a new iPhone, but then corrects all the faults with the “S” model. Maybe Reebok has something else in store for this year that might be an alternate model to the Nano line up. As it is right now, the Reebok CrossFit Nano 7.0’s are great lifting shoes, just not the best CrossFit shoes.

Post navigation

25 comments

As always a truly honest and objective review. I have read reviews from other web sites where the review has nothing but praise for the manufacturer. Thank you for calling it like it is Joel.
I hope we se a resurgence of the design that made the nano 6.0 so great in 2018.

Joel, thanks for your in depth review. What I find very surprising is that you cannot find a Nano 6 anywhere online or in any stores anymore. Here is my fascinating and tragic experience: I was in Dubai for most of December and tried on the Nano 6 for the first time and fell in love with it so I decided to buy a pair as I was saving a lot of $ in terms of tax savings. I thought I’d check online in the US and Canadian stores to see what the prices were and they were ridiculously discounted in Canada at $60 a pair. Plus, they had the dark stealth that I was actually interested in, which I couldn’t find in Dubai. Now, this was probably a week before boxing day. I thought let’s wait until boxing day as the prices may fall even more. Time would tell what a stupid decision that was because by the 23rd, all the sizes above 8 were out of stock!

Now, I couldn’t find a pair at full price too in my size. I checked the UK, US and other Canadian stores too. I was luckily able to find one last pair left in a store faraway from the city I live in Canada so I went there and bought it at full price.

Why does Reebok not have any of their older Nano’s anywhere at all? I really wanted the dark stealth gum sole but I’ll have to live with the red sole now. I don’t understand why Reebok would intentionally stop producing their best shoe because I know there are tons of people who haven’t bought the 7 because they don’t like it and are probably going to Nike in the absence of the Nano 6 being available.

That’s terrible! I wasted no time getting the black/gum because I just knew it was THE colorway. I have a feeling that Reebok stopped production early because of their deal with DuPont and the usage of Kevlar. Either that, or because they wanted to somehow combat the Nike Metcon before the Open. Forbes did a survey, visited a bunch of boxes, and the results were that in every gym, more people were wearing Metcons. I suspect the first reason was it, but who knows. All we know now is that you better get your hands on the 6.0’s before they completely go extinct. Another thing that strikes me as weird is that Reebok had TONS of stock of 4.0’s up past when 5.0s came out, but not so much of the 5.0’s when the 6.0 came out and even less now…it must be due to the use of Kevlar.

Wow! I’m jealous that you go the black/gumsole one. They’re currently being sold on eBay for $300 and are being called “limited edition”. I think Reebok made a big mistake if they are not going to be in a position to produce more Nano 6’s. If it is due to the deal with DuPont, then it was just a bad strategy to begin with. I’m just glad I was able to get the second best color in them after reading your article and comment.

Funny thing is that in Dubai there were quite a few Nano 5’s in stock in December. Oh well, it is hard to go head to head against Nike, so I commend Reebok for being able to start a market for something brand new. Let’s see how it pans out.

what was the reasons that people pick metcons1-2 over the nano 6. was it because Reebok has been limited with their colorways? which has been my biggest complaint about Reebok they just dont release enough attractive colorways.

also i have always been a huge fan of Reebok. i have had 3.0 , 4.0 , 5.0 , 2 pairs of 6.0(cancer and the black white colorway) and the all black 7.0 for the first time im hoping Reebok can just flat out release Nike with new shoe designs similar to what car manufactures did in the 1950’s, i know there is the up coming Reebok Grace on the way too.

Hey Joel, thanks for the honest review! How would you place the nano 7 over the crossfit combine? I’m a cyclist and mostly do dynamic lifting and powerlifting, also a lot of core/stability. Would you recommend buying the Crossfit Combine rather then the nano 7’s? I can buy the Combine for €58 ($62)

i was on the brink of buying the 6.0 but suddenly all the stock seemed to disappear in my size (10/10.5), then i realized it was because the 7.0 were coming, gutted because the 6.0s seemed like the better pair.

just wanted to confirm though, i’m after a pair of lifting shoes (squats/deads mainly) that are suited to people with wide feet, will allow me to do a 20-30 minute tradmilly run without needing to change my shoes, and to a lesser extent get me through a crossfit workout once i start doing them. The nano 6.0s seemed to fit the bill there perfectly. do you think these will still be ok? or do you recommend something else (nano’s seem to be know for working better with wider feet).

Last couple pairs of shoes I’ve used were the Metcon 2’s which unglued at the forefoot flex point and the Metcon 3’s which for some reason had huge ankle slippage in the left foot. Nike customer service was great and in both cases shoes were refunded for the full price.

I’d like to try something different and I haven’t come across your feeling on the the Nano 7.0 vs the Speed TR’s, I’ve tried them both on and they both feel great in the store but that doesn’t mean much as you know. I have a pair of Adipowers for my heavy lifting. So these shoes would be for all other crossfit activities.

Keep up the great videos, I find myself even watching your reviews for things I’m not even considering buying.

Hey Justin, the speed Trs are the most underrated shoes in the industry. If there was no Nano 6.0, they would be my goto Reebok shoe and are good for just about everything. The only “issue” is that they’re on the narrow side, I have a pretty normal foot and I don’t think it’s a big deal though. Between them and the Nano 7, I’d go Speed because they’re more comfortable, flexible, and you can still lift heavy in them!

Great review. I’m a few workouts into my new pair of 7’s and I’m probably going to be returning them. The shoe has great support, but running and double unders are torture. The stiffness in the sole creates some real problems at any kind of distance. My 6’s are still in good enough shape that I should be able to wait out the next gen… glad I’m not taking crazy pills.

Amazing review mate. I Stumbled across your review on youtube, watched the whole review, then noticed your blog which is equally as insightful but different at the same time, Love it! Can’t agree more with you on the Speed TR front, they’re definitely my go-to training shoe! Keep up the great work, and much love from NZ!

The fascist DONALD TRUMP said to Fox News “I believe HITLER was RIGHT”. rjs Donald Trump is a racist with SEWER and the DailyStormer, he listens to satanic 666 racist music… just google “Donald Trump SEWER 2154” and see FOR YOURSELF!! THE MUSIC qp VIDEO IS about the KKK and Adfolf Hitler raping a 12 year old African-American WOMAN OF COLOR in front of her parents and then hanging MLK with Emma Watson and Taylor Swift!! TAYLOR SWIFT the racist white privileged cvnt said she voted “for donald trump twice” in her OWN WORDS!!! Say no to hate, say no to SEWER, say no to d DONALD TRUMP and EMMA WATSON and Tatylor Swift !! Deport racism today dnb.